Automated transaction machines are known in the prior art. A common type of automated transaction machine is an automated teller machine (ATM). ATMs have been developed which are capable of performing a variety of transactions including the dispensing of currency notes. ATMs are commonly used by individuals to receive cash from their accounts, to pay bills, to transfer cash between accounts, and to make deposits. Certain ATMs also have the capability of delivering and receiving various types of sheet materials. For example, some ATMs dispense materials such as tickets, travelers checks, money orders, bank checks, scrip, stamps, vouchers, gaming materials, lottery tickets, transit tokens, or other sheet materials stored in or produced by the machine. Other types of transaction machines dispense notes and other types of sheets to users such as bank tellers, cashiers, and other service providers. Automated transaction machines generally dispense such materials while operating to enable appropriate charges and credits to be applied to the respective accounts of the customer, the machine owner, and/or the provider of the dispensed materials. For purposes of this description an automated transaction machine will be considered as any machine that carries out transactions including transfers of value.
Customers also commonly receive from an ATM a printed sheet which is a receipt indicating the particulars of the transactions they have conducted at the machine. In addition customers may request and receive from some ATMs a more detailed statement of transactions conducted on their account.
ATMs currently in use often have different areas on the machine where sheets are received from or delivered to a customer. For example, most machines include one area for delivering cash to a customer and another area for receiving deposits.
Automated transaction machines that dispense notes or other types of sheets representative of value are generally constructed to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the supply of sheets held inside the machine. Automated transaction machines typically include a generally secure chest or enclosure. The interior of the enclosure includes storage areas for currency notes and other types of sheet materials. Automated transaction machines may include several different passageways, devices and transports which operate to deliver sheet materials from storage areas in the machine to users.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous individuals on rare occasions are successful in tampering with the machine. Sometimes this is done by placing objects through a sheet delivery opening. Such tampering may corrupt the operation of the machine and prevent the final delivery of sheet materials to the customer. Therefore, a customer's account may be charged the value of the requested sheet materials without the customer ever receiving the sheet materials. In some cases such unscrupulous individuals may return to the machine after the sheets of an authorized user have become trapped inside the machine near the delivery opening and attempt to extract them.
Thus there exists a need for an automated transaction machine that reduces the risk that the sheet delivery capability of the machine will be corrupted. There further exists a need for an automated transaction machine which is capable of verifying that the sheet material delivery path to the customer is properly operable prior to attempting to deliver at least some sheet materials from the machine. There further exists a need for an automated transaction machine with a reduced risk of tampering.